Barrier free travel

Experience Munich without barriers

Do you find stairs difficult to climb and prefer escalators? Or do you use a wheelchair and therefore need a lift? The MVV transport companies are constantly expanding their barrier-free services in stations, at stops and on vehicles.

Service offered

MVV without barriers

It is our aim to make journeys as easy as possible for our disabled passengers. That is why the MVV and its partners – first and foremost the transport companies – are committed to designing barrier-free stations and vehicles.

However, it is not yet possible to offer certain services at each and every station or stop or in all vehicles. If you have a disability, we therefore recommend that – before starting your journey – you find out about the situation at your point of departure and at your destination, and at any points where you may need to change to a different line/mode of transport.

Structural and technical measures

Lifts and moving walkways at stations as well as lowerable ramps in buses and trams help disabled passengers to get on and off a vehicle and switching to a different mode of transport.

Easy orientation at stops and in vehicles via visual and acoustic cues. These include visual displays at stops and the acoustic warning of closing doors.

More space: modern vehicles have wide doors for easy access, extra spaces for wheelchairs, buggies and bicycles.

Some vehicle types are equipped with a means for contacting the conductor at a height suitable for wheelchair users.

Platforms, some station halls and some stops feature a 20 cm wide grooved strip on the floor at a safe distance from the edge of the platform. The grooves can be felt with the feet or a white cane.

Good illumination and sufficient space is of great importance, especially in the platform area. Built-in elements, niches and edges were avoided during construction.

Nearly all disabled public toilets are located within the MVV area.

Most kerbstones have been lowered to 3 cm.

Supporting you with good communication

Our station-specific timetables and our timetable booklet help you see at a glance which lines run vehicles that have been adapted to the needs of passengers with disabilities.Station-specific timetableTimetable booklet

You can make customised settings in the journey planner and choose between three walking speeds: “slow”, “average” and “fast”. This enables timings to be calculated more accurately.

The timetable information system is also available as a version for the visually impaired and as a plain text version. If you prefer, you can also access the journey planner by phone. The voice-controlled service makes a distinction between “completely barrier-free” (connections with ground-level access to vehicles and access to the stops/stations via a lift) and “partly barrier-free” (connections involving low-floor vehicles and access to stops/stations via escalators, ramps or lifts).

Means of transport

Barrier-free buses and trains

The fleets of all transport companies within the MVV are continually being modernised. The rule of thumb: the newer a vehicle is, the fewer barriers there are.

S-Bahn (urban rail)

Currently, around 85 per cent of the 150 MVV S-Bahn (urban rail) stations offer barrier-free access; more than 90 stations have been specially designed for passengers with mobility problems. Other improvements are being made continuously.

Vehicles from the new ET 423 series are now running regularly on all S-Bahn (urban rail) routes. Wide doors, clear destination displays and a modern passenger information system provide a high level of comfort. What’s more, these vehicles are equipped with a fold-down ramp operated by the driver. Wheelchair users and other passengers who want to make use of this facility should wait at the front of the train so the driver can see them.

Right at the front and back of the train – next to the driver’s cabins – is where the multi-purpose areas are located, which are easily accessible for wheelchair users and other passengers.

Information about the working condition of station lifts is available from the S-Bahn (urban rail) control centre, which can be contacted by phone on +49 (0)89 / 1308-1055. Here you can also find out which lifts require you to disembark and change on a mezzanine level. If you discover a lift that is out of order, please use the emergency phone located in the lift or the station.

U-Bahn (underground)

All of the 100 U-Bahn (underground) stations provide barrier-free access to the platforms.

The new type C1.9 underground train carriages have wide entrance doors, considerably more storage space and offer a high degree of comfort, thanks to fold-up seats.

Please note that wheelchair users should always wait at the front of the train so the driver can see them.

Information about the working condition of station lifts is available from the S-Bahn (urban rail) control centre, which can be contacted by phone on +49 (0)89 / 21 91 33 33. Here you can also find out which lifts require you to disembark and change on a mezzanine level. If you discover a lift that is out of order, please use the emergency phone located in the lift or the station.

Tram

Almost all vehicles running on the tram network have been adapted to the needs of disabled passengers – including those which run throughout the night.

Inner-city bus

The MVV predominantly uses low-floor buses equipped with boarding aids (wheelchair lifts or folding ramps). Low-floor buses with boarding aids are marked by the sign for the disabled and are also used at night.

Getting on and off the bus via a ramp: please wait close to the station mast and keep a safe distance from the kerb. Always use the door in the middle of the bus! To inform the driver that you want to use the ramp, press the red button to the right of the middle door. The driver will allow for access via the ramp as soon as the other passengers have boarded or alighted. There are folding ramps which are manually activated by the driver as well as electro-mechanical ones. In the future, only the manually-operated folding ramps will be installed as they are less prone to interference. PLEASE NOTE: the doors close for a moment before the electro-mechanical ramp can extend. A distance of one metre is required to extend the ramp. Please keep your distance from the ramp. If the ramp hits an obstacle, it is retracted completely. Only then is a new attempt possible. The incline of the ramp varies from stop to stop. The maximum load capacity is 250 kg.

The space reserved for wheelchairs is located opposite the door. Please place your wheelchair with the back against the padded area so that you are facing away from the direction of travel. This is for safety reasons. Seats for passengers with restricted mobility who do not use wheelchairs are marked by a pictogram and located close to the doors.

To get off the bus, please notify the driver by pressing the red button which you can find in the middle of the space reserved for wheelchair users

MVV regional bus

An increasing number of low-floor buses are also being operated in the region surrounding Munich